A Lieutenant's Past
by J.L. Dexter
Summary: Roy Mustang certaintly has a lot on his hands: his most trying hurtle yet, his First Lieutenant, Riza Hawkeye a most intriguing woman with a past so shadowed, that it'll take more than just a flame to shed light on the illfated memories she hides.


Disclaimer: I do not own any of the original FMA characters, I own only the plot and the mentioned Major with which Riza has a past with- so don't sue.

_A Lieutenant's Past_

**A/N: **First off, this is my first written _Full Metal Alchemist- _and since I have yet to see all the episodes in the series, there might be pivotal points in this story that aren't in contrast to the actual series outline. Like, the rank above Major, I know there is one, but I didn't know what it was and I was too lazy to look it up. ;; I think that's all- and if the characters seem OOC (I hope not) then, oh well. There is only so much a person can do- and I can't please everyone.

* * *

_Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye_- now there was a name that Roy was familiar with, yet unfamiliar with at the same time. Yeah, he knew her as a colleague, but not as a person. _Had he ever really taken the time to try and get to know her outside of her job? _Now there was a question that the Colonel did know the answer to. _No. _It just seemed that there wasn't a need to. But now as he stood watching the young woman repeatedly empty her revolver's chamber at a helpless target, he knew that there was much more to her than the naked eye could see- and he wanted to know.

He hung back behind the shooting booth until she had expended the last bullet, the shell clattering to the ground with a high-pitched _ting. _She stepped back, a hand deftly removing the empty magazine from the pristine weapon; she knew he was there, could sense him watching her and while it wasn't bothersome, it was unnerving. After reloading the gun with a fresh magazine, she raised her arms with a steady composure as she took aim at a new paper victim that now hung in her sights. Her finger squeezed the trigger lightly, but her mind couldn't seem to focus on anything other than the fact that her commanding officer- a somewhat childish fiend, especially when it came to female officers simply for the fact that he had an _infatuation _with miniskirts- was standing behind her, watching her every move.

She relaxed her arms, albeit, they were still poised in the air and asked, "Colonel, something you needed?"

Roy jumped, unaware of the fact that she knew he was standing there. "Yes, I mean no... well, not really," he stammered, cursing himself for being such a blunder in front of her her. (Or behind her, if he wanted to get technical.)

Riza lowered her gun and sighed, "What is it, sir?"

"So Lieutenant, how long have we been working together now?"

"Several years now, sir."

"Yes, it has been quite a long time, hasn't it- what do you say to having lunch with me?"

Riza faltered- if only for a second, glad that her back was to the man so that he didn't see the blush that had invited itself to settle on her already flushed cheeks. "Sir, I don't think protocol allows for frat-"

"Screw protocol," Roy muttered to himself. "I meant as a Colonel and his Lieutenant."

Weighing the current situation, Riza finally gave a nod at the offer. She turned to face the Colonel, his face tight-lipped and tensed as he watched her, or more specifically, watched her gun; clicking the safety on, Riza supressed a chuckle at the man's face as she holstered the weapon.

Roy cleared his throat and allowed his body to relax. "C'mon, my treat," he stated as he gestured to the door with his free arm, a manila folder clutched tightly in the other.

Grabbing her discarded jacket from a nearby chair, she strolled past him, a curious expression on her face. "What's with the folder, Colonel?"

He opened the door, a grin that was all but reassuring in the least plastered on his face as he commented, "Distraction."

-oOo-

"...So then, Maes and I decided to get them back, and we lugged a gallon of pink paint up to the locker room where they kept all the equipment, knowing that those idiots had clean up duty the next day. Well they ended up canceling the class and the paint was forgotten but two days later, somehow Havoc and Breda managed to get out of clean up duty- guess those two days were still coutned, and so the rotation picked up with me and Maes- and we were assigned to the task..." Roy paused for dramatic appearance, his obsidian eyes sweeping over to his companion, a smirk on her face as she listenend.

"I didn't remember there being _that much _paint in that can," he added. "But it was everywhere! So on top of the original clean up duty, we had to scrub the entire locker room just to get the paint up, plus we were assigned a week each to kitchen clean up- and let's not forget the embarassment we had to endure for three days straight- I swear, I about never got that pink paint out of my hair!"

Riza had a hand covering her mouth as she chuckled at the story, a mental image of a pink colored Roy easily coming to her mind. "I guess that ended your days of pranks then?"

Roy leaned forward on his elbows, an almost nostalgic look on his face. "Nah, after that day, we just vowed to try harder and to remember our own pranks, lest we forget once more and have it backfire."

They sat in silence for a bit- Roy rested his chin on his hands as Riza nervously stirred the ice water around in her glass with a straw; the manila folder lay forgotten for now, at the other end of the table. Finally Roy broke the uncomfortable silence that hung between them.

"So, Lieutenant- tell me about yourself. After all those years of working together, I still don't know much about you, excluding what I know inside the work place."

Riza stiffened in her seat, her hands pausing momentarily in their task of stirring her water. "There isn't much worth knowing, Colonel, about my personal life," she replied, perhaps a bit too harshly than intended.

The Colonel lifted an eyebrow at her, "Come now," he started in a teasing tone. "Is that any way to treat a gentleman after he just bought you lunch?"

"Excuse my abruptness, sir, but I don't think a synopsis of my personal life justifies a free meal," Riza muttered as she sat back, her arms crossed. She turned her head and stared out the window, watching as cars drove past the small, quiant cafe, the drivers oblivious to the things around them.

Roy sat up, a hand absently reaching for the manila folder as he drug the object infront of him, his fingers flipping it open and sorting through the various papers held inside. He finally found the one he was searching for and held it up, his eyes skimming over it.

"Lieutenant Elizabeth Hawkeye," he started, the name quickly catching Riza's attention as she stared at him, surprised confusion evident in her features and posture. "Says here that you enlisted at the age of nineteen, under... restricted reasons," he lifted his head, his eyes meeting hers. He barely had time to move the paper back over his head as Riza's hand shot forward trying to snatch the document away from him, the anger clearly visible in her amber eyes. "Nuh-uh," he chided as he leaned back far enough to still look at the paper while keeping it out of her reach. "Care to explain why it says restricted reasons, hmm?"

Riza glared at him before leaning back in a huff, her arms crossing once more and she grumbled, "Bastard."

Roy grinned before putting a more serious expression on his face as he chimed, "I'm waiting, Lieutenant."

Riza turned her head as she stared out the window again, her eyes closing momentarily as she debated whether to tell him or not, but not one to defy orders from her Colonel, she finally consented, her eyes opening as she slipped back into her past.

"It started when I was seventeen, when my mother remarried; he was a military man- a major," she began softly, her eyes downcast. "He wasn't a bad man, he was actually very kind and treated us with respect and honor. Things went well for the first two years, then I graduated high school and got accepted into college... that's when the trouble began. I was nineteen and my world began falling apart, starting with the death of my mother. I became so bitter, that I began skipping classes and eventually I got mixed in with the wrong crowd, so to speak... that was the breaking point..."

_Riza tripped over the thresh-hold as she stumbled into her kitchen, her feet shuffling across the floor as she felt her way around the room. Her hand crashed into something on the counter and it fell to the floor, the noise echoing through the silence. 'Damn.' She shook her head and crouched down, her eyes slowly adjusting to the dark as she began cleaning up her mess with as little noise as possible._

_Before she was able to finish her task, the overhead light was switched on, the brightness temporarily blinding the young girl as she used a free hand to shield her bloodshot eyes. Peeking through her fingers, she caught a glimpse of a staunch figure standing in the doorway, blocking the path to the living room, and her sanctuary. 'Double damn.'_

_"Elizabeth." The voice was firm, yet laden with concern as the man shifted uneasily, a look of discomforting worry on his taunt face. "Do you have any idea what time it is, young lady?"_

_Rolling her eyes, Riza stood up, the shards of broken glass in one hand as she used the other to steady herself, her palm flat on the counter. "It's either really early, or really late," she commented snidely, her eyes looking away from the man._

_Instead of getting irate, the man picked a slip of paper up from the counter that had been hidden amongst the pile of mail. "Do you know what this it is?"_

_Riza stared at it and shook her head, her uncooperating feet carrying her to the trash can as she discarded the remains of a glass. "Bill, I don't really care."_

_"Well you better start caring missy," he informed. "This is a letter from your college saying that, not only had you been skipping classes and failing, but that you dropped out! I want an explaination."_

_With a scoff, Riza leaned against the counter, her movements unsteady. "My Lord, you're drunk," the man stated matter-of-factly. "What would your mother think if she could see you right now, Elizabeth?"_

_Anger swelled in Riza's chest as she stood up, a hand raised and a finger pointed defiantly in the man's direction, "Don't you dare bring her into this! Why can't you just leave her be and allow her memory to rest in peace!"_

_"Don't take that tone of voice with me, missy," Bill stated firmly. "Your mother left me as your guardian when she died, and as your step-father, I won't take this from you. Just look at yourself, look at what you're doing- you're ruining your future."_

_Riza crossed her arms. "I'm old enough to care for myself,- I don't need a guardian. And it's my life to do what I want with, not yours."_

_"Then if that is the way you feel, then why don't you just leave? You won't except my help, or follow my rules- which, by god, isn't much to ask for- and you can't seem to get your priorities straight, then why don't you go; surely one of your booze-addicted friends would take you in."_

_The words stung, just as they had meant to, and Riza soon found herself pushing past her step-father, her shouts echoing through the near empty house. "That's fine by me!"_

_Hours passed and Riza sat hunched in her desk chair, hugging her knees to her chest as she listened to the old house settling, her ears catching the tiny hints of Bill finally going back to bed. She stared at an old family portrait, one that had been taken before her father died- things seemed so much better back then; happier even. But life with Bill wasn't bad either, she reminded herself. Just different. He was a military man- precise and poignant, but never over-authoritive. He was caring and funny and provided them well, that much was sure, but Riza still found the time to find faults in the man that didn't exist._

_Right now her hatred was boiling over and all the man had done was try to help her- sure, he was a little harsh and she a little too arrogant, but that didn't stop her anger from clouding her judgement of him. After she was sure that he had finally retired for the evening once more, she slipped out of her chair and allowed her legs to uncramp as she shuffled drunkenly to her bed. What would her mother say if she could see her now?_

_There was a slight scoff as Riza plopped onto her bed- she would surely be disappointed. A college dropout: a drunken one at that! Yes, she would not be happy at the person her daughter had become recently, but right now, Riza could care less. If her parents didn't care as to so much as stay with her, then why should she care about what they think? _

_Trying to relax, she leaned over and flipped on her bedside lamp, her hands idly rummaging through the drawers of her night stand. A soft and sudden 'plink' against the pane window drew her attention and she slowly rose to her feet and swaggered across the room. Pressing her face against the cool glass, her hands cupped against the sides of her head, she peered into the darkness to the yard below. A smile gradually tainted her flushed face as she opened the window and leaned over the sill._

_A young man stood below, a hand full of rocks as he looked up expectantly at her, a lopsided grin covering his features. "Riz- come on, the others are waiting for us."_

_Riza frowned momentarily and remembered why she had come home in the first place. "Okay, let me change real quick though," she whispered loudly to him before disappearing back into her room. Moments later, she was climbing over the window sill to the tree whose limbs spanned across the air like stairs. She manuevered her way through the branches until she was finally able to drop to the ground, her feet making a soft 'thud' on the plush grass. Arms met her descent as the man kissed her cheek lightly causing Riza to blush._

_"C'mon, lets get out of here," the man stated, his hand firmly grasping hers as he drug her across the yard to the street where a group of figures were waiting._

-oOo-

Roy stared blankly at the young woman, her pause in the story indicative that she was regrouping her thoughts, but that it wasn't the end of the story. "And then what happened," he prodded gently.

Riza took a deep breath and cast an uncertain glance at her commanding officer. "Normally, there was a point where I would draw the line when it came to hanging out with my _friends, _but on that particular night, I was so blinded with my anger, that I didn't care and I threw caution to the wind, for the first time," she paused and slid her gaze to the glass of water that sat before her. "And the last."

_Another beer top was popped as Riza settled back into the backseat, scrunched in between three friends, who had insisted that all seven of them would fit in the tiny car. Several of them had their heads hanging out the windows, screaming at the top of their lungs into the night. Someone leaned back and tapped her shoulder, "Hey Riz- c'mon and try this- it'll make you feel better."_

_After some prodding, Riza finally gave in and handed her drink to the person to hold as she squeezed her head out of the window and screamed as loudly as she could. Through the other yells of her friends, she could make out the sound of crickets singing and neighborhood dogs barking and she once again raised her voice in harmony with them as she yelled out with excitement more so than frustration._

_Soon she found her throat parched and she sank back into the car, quickly draining the rest of her drink as someone pressed another into her hands. Several beers later, Riza found herself singing at the top of her lungs with the others, each person in the car not caring about the world, or the fact that the car they were cruising around in was a military issued vehicle that had been hotwired for their own enjoyment._

_Riza didn't exactly remember what happened, or how or why it did, but a distressed yell threw them all off as the driver whipped the steering wheel violently to the side, the entire car skidding across the road where, a split second later, it rammed head on with a telephone pole. _

_The moments after that had seemed like a dream as Riza stumbled around in a daze, the arms of her friends slung across her shoulders as they abandoned the now wrecked car, each sporting bruises and cuts. It didn't seem but like minutes after the accident had occured that a police car pulled up alongside them, the man inside issuing a bulletin over dispatch. A silent curse tumbled from her lips as she dropped to the ground beside her friends, a shaking hand running through her blonde hair._

_Pretty soon, more police and rescue vehicles arrived on the scene, each of her friends being tended to before her turn finally came- if only she had been able to make it to the rescue vehicle, perhaps, she would have been spared. Riza thought demurely if maybe fate was toying with her, putting on a sarcastic display of her life, mocking her very being and existence._

_"Elizabeth!" The voice calling her name made her stop and for a brief moment, she regretted ever having agreed to the plan of 'borrowing' a military issued car for a one night thrill ride. A pair of strong arms hugged her before pushing her to arm's length, the person staring at her. "Have you been drinking?"_

_Riza slapped Bill's hands away and seethed at him, "Leave me alone."_

_Bill glared at her, but before he was able to reprimend the girl, a officer pushed his way to them and gave a curt nod to the older man before resting a hand on Riza's arm. "I'm sorry sir, but this young lady is under arrest."_

_"Under arrest for what!"_

_The cop looked at him, "For aiding in the theft of a military vehicle, sir."_

_Bill stared at his step-daughter, the shock clearly visible on his wrinkled face. "Elizabeth..."_

_She didn't answer him as she was led away by the officer to a waiting unmarked car, where she was helped into, the officer slowly closing the door behind her. _

_The long car ride from the accident site to the military command center was agonizing, and offered a lot of key time for Riza to come up with a somewhat presentable plea, her mind wandering as to exactly what would happen when it came time for her to face the judge- who, given to circumstances, was not a pleasent individual. The night seemed to drag on, and she found herself pacing the small confinement cell in which she was placed several times during the evening. She had just drifted off when the sound of footsteps in the corridor roused her, the echoing effect unbearable with her hangover._

_She was soon shuffled through the hallway and into an office that she was only familiar with all too well. With a grumbled reply, she allowed herself to be pushed into the less than comfortable chair as she stared at the three men before her._

_Bill- in complete uniform, pristine and emmaculate- was one, while the judge was another and the last- Riza found it ironic, really- was her step-father's commanding officer. If she somehow managed to get Bill kicked out of the military, she knew she would never hear the end of it._

_But the harsh words of her step-father's untimely retirement were never spoken, and instead she found herself listening intently as the elder man addressed her and the others._

_"Elizabeth Hawkeye, you do know why you are here, do you not?  
_

_Riza nodded her head numbly, the action causing her world to spin. "Good, well, seeing as your step-father has been of utmost importance in his service to the Military, we have decided to offer you a deal. Since you were not the one who thefted the car, nor the one driving the vehicle at the time of it's demise, we have prepared for you an alternative method of punishment instead of prison."_

_The mention of an 'alternative' quickly caught her attention and she turned her bloodhost eyes to the man, her signal to him that she was listening._

_"You have a choice," the judge began. "You can either serve your sentence-of three years, mind you- in the military prison, or you can serve your three years by enlisting into the Military. Basic Military Training, the choice is yours."_

_Riza stiffened. 'So much for a nice alternative', she thought grimly. She pondered the situation. "So I can either take my three years in the prison, with my friends, or I can enlist in the basic military training program -a.k.a- Bootcamp."_

_Bill nodded and sat down. "Elizabeth, think about this. Its a very good deal, one that didn't have to be offered to you- don't think lightly of your options, please."_

_She rose to her feet hurriedly, "Its not a good deal! Prison or bootcamp- its the same thing! There is no difference, despite what any of you think."_

_Her step-father's commanding officer frowned. "Well Miss. Hawkeye, if that is how you feel about it, then I suppose the prison would be more than welcome to have you for the next three year-"_

_"No!" Riza suddenly found herself protesting. "I'll... I'll enlist," she mumbled. She saw Bill sadly nod his head, yet happy that she had chosen wisely- if only Riza's opinion of it, was held in the same regard, perhaps, it wouldn't be as bad._

-oOo-

"So you chose to enlist in the military instead of the prison, where your friends had been placed?" Roy questioned, his fingers laced behind his head as he stared at the woman.

Riza nodded. "Yes, despite the fact that basic military training was hard, the prison would have been much worse- I've been inside it before, and I had no desire whatsoever, to take up a three year residence within it's walls, even if my friends were there. So I chose the lesser of the two punishments, and I enlisted into the military the same day. It wasn't easy, that goes without saying, but I think that, had I not been given that choice, I might regret it, for I wouldn't be where I am today."

The statement prosed a good moment for the question which Roy was tossing about in his mind, "So if you detested the military so much, what made you stay?"

The young woman didn't seem taken aback by the question, if maybe a bit surprised at the way it was composed. "At first, I was constantly kicking myself for having agreed to enlisting, believe me. But after my training, I slowly realized the respect and dedication that was involved with being a _dog of the military, _and though I'm not much one for being told what to do, the constant unchanging schedule of a soldier's life can be better than the hectic normalacy of life. I think a key reason I stayed was, because of Bill- though it was never in good taste, he only did what he did to help me- so I stayed to help him," she paused, a smile on her face. "But lets just say, there was a slight satisfaction that came with the promotion to order people around."

The Colonel laughed and tilted his head in agreement. "This is true. You said your step-father was a major, who?"

"Bill Marsden," she supplied, a wistful expression flickering in her eyes at the mention of his name.

Roy frowned. "Major Marsden was your step-father?" She nodded. "He was a good man, and a damn good officer," Roy offered. "The Military felt a huge loss with his death."

Riza lifted her head to stare at him. "Yes, they did. He died an honorable death- in the face of danger, and in the heat of battle," she paused, her breath catching as she quickly looked away from him. "I... I have a confession, sir."

The Colonel's attention lifted at this. "What is it?"

"I fought alongside my step-father in the Ishbal war," she whispered. "After my training, I became a top marksman- one of the best snipers the Military had deemed. I was transferred under Bill's regimen as Seargent-Major. That day, in Ishbal, I thought surely that fate had pitted against me from day one- first my father, then my mother, and then finally Bill; he died in my arms, killed at point blank range, protecting me..." she trailed off.

Roy leaned forward, the sympathy for his companion visible on his face as he creased his brow. He silently prodded her to continue and she hesitantly did so. "When he died, I was pulled from his regimen," she explained. "Thats when they assigned me to your unit with a promotion. With my reassignment, came a new goal- to protect my commanding officer, no matter what. I don't want to go through that again, sir- I hope you understand."

The Colonel clearly looked bemused at the confession. "I do understand," he offered gently. "And I thank you."

Riza turned her head up, her eyes meeting his. "No, thank you sir."

They sat for several more minutes in silence, before Roy picked up the check and rose to his feet. Escorting his Lieutenant out, he idly looped an arm around her shoulders, the close proximety causing the girl to blush, though for once, she did not detest his actions.

"Lieutenant," Roy started as they strolled down the street back to the Command Center. "Riza- I think this could be the beginning of a beautiful rela-" he caught himself just in time, his eyes sliding over to see Riza's face, a frown on her features, a slight blush still tinting her cheeks. "Aquintanceship," he supplied instead, a grin on his own face.

_A beautiful one indeed..._


End file.
